Upgrading the vCenter Server to VMware Release 4.1

This upgrade procedure also applies to vCenter Server 4.1 Update 1 and later.

Procedure

Step 1

Navigate to the VMware-vpx-all-4.1.0-258902 folder.

Step 2

Double-click autorun.

The VMware vCenter Installer wizard opens.

Step 3

In the VMware Product Installers area, click vCenter Server.

Step 4

Choose a language and click OK..

Step 5

Click Next.

Step 6

In the Patent Agreement window, click Next.

Step 7

In the License Agreement screen, click the I agree to the terms in the license agreement radio button and click Next.

Step 8

In the Database Options window, click Next.

Step 9

Click the Upgrade existing vCenter Server database radio button and check the I have taken a backup of the existing vCenter Server database and SSL certificates in the folder: C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\SSL\. check box.

Step 10

From the Windows Start Menu, click Run.

Step 11

Enter the name of the folder that contains the vCenter Server database and click OK.

Step 12

Drag a copy of the parent folder (SSL) to your Desktop as a backup.

Step 13

Return to the installer program and click Next.

Step 14

In the vCenter Agent Upgrade screen, click the Automatic radio button and click Next.

Step 15

In the vCenter Server Service screen, check the Use SYSTEM Account check box and click Next.

Step 16

In the Configure Ports screen, review the port settings and click Next.

Step 17

Based on the number of hosts, in the vCenter Server JVM Memory screen click the appropriate memory radio button and click Next.

Step 18

In the Ready to Install the Program screen, click Install.

Step 19

In the Installation Completed screen, click Finish.

Step 20

Upgrade the VMware vSphere Client to ESXi 4.1.0.

Step 21

Open the VMware vSphere Client.

Step 22

From the Help menu, choose About VMware vSphere.

Step 23

Confirm that the vSphere Client and the VMware vCenter Server are both version 4.1.0, Build 258902, click OK, and exit the VMware vSphere Client.

Upgrading the ESX/ESXi Hosts to VMware Release 4.1

This upgrade procedure also applies to ESX/ESXi hosts 4.1 Update 1 and later.

Procedure

Step 1

In the vSphere Client, click Home.

Step 2

Click the Update Manager tab.

Step 3

Click the Host Upgrade Release tab.

Step 4

In the Imported Upgrade Releases area, click Import Upgrade Release.

Step 5

In the Select Upgrade FIles screen, click Browse and navigate to the location of the upgrade-from-ESX4.0-to-4.1.0-0.0.260247-release.zip Zip bundle.

Step 6

Choose the Zip file and click Open.

Step 7

In the Select Upgrade Files screen, click Next.

If you receive a Security Warning about the certificate, you can install the certificate or ignore the warning. Go to Step 8 if you must install a certificate. If you do not need to install a certificate, go to Step 9.

Step 8

Click Finish when the upload is successful.

Step 9

In the Host Upgrade Releases tab, click Create Baseline to create a baseline.

When you create a baseline and attach it to a host or cluster, the Update Manager can remediate the device by applying all updates needed to bring it into compliance with the baseline.

Step 10

In the Baseline Name and Description area, enter a Name.

Step 11

In the Baseline Type area, click the Host Upgrade radio button and click Next.

Step 12

Click the Host Upgrade Release and click Next..

Step 13

Click Next.

Step 14

Check the Try to reboot the host and roll back the upgrade in case of failure check box

Step 15

In the COS VMDK Location screen, click Next.

Step 16

Review the upgrade information and click Finish.

The baseline has been created.

Step 17

Click Home.

Step 18

Click the Host and Cluster Inventory tab.

Step 19

Click the Cluster icon to upgrade all hosts in the cluster.

Step 20

Click the Update Manager tab.

Step 21

In the Cluster area, click Attach.

Step 22

In the Individual Baselines by Type pane, check the 4.0 to 4.1 check box.

Step 23

Click Attach.

Step 24

In the Cluster area, click Scan to test the cluster’s compliance to the baseline.

Step 25

In the Confirm Scan window, check the Upgrades check box.

Step 26

Uncheck the Patches and Extensions check box.

Step 27

Click Scan.

Step 28

In the Host Compliance pane, verify that all hosts are Non-Compliant and click Remediate.

Step 29

In the Remediation Selection screen, click Next.

Step 30

Click the I agree to the term in the license agreement radio button and click Next.

Step 31

In the ESX 4.1.0 Upgrade window, click Next.

Step 32

In the Maintenance Mode Options area, check the Disable any removable media devices connected to the virtual machines on the host check box and click Next.

Step 33

In the Cluster Remediation Options screen, check all check boxes and click Next.

Step 34

Click Finish to begin the remediation.

Note

You can monitor the remediation progress in the Recent Tasks section of the vSphere Server window.

Step 35

In the Confirming Host ESX/ESXi Release window, click each host in the left-hand pane to check the host versions and confirm that 4.1.0, 260247 appears in the top-left corner of the right-hand pane.

Step 36

Determine upgrade completion as follows:

If all hosts have been upgraded, the upgrade is complete.

If any one of the hosts was not upgraded, perform Step 42 through Step 61 for each host that requires an upgrade.

Step 37

Right-click the host’s IP address and choose Enter Maintenance Mode.

Step 38

In the Confirm Maintenance Mode dialog box, click Yes.

The host’s VMs are migrated.

Step 39

Click the Update Manager tab.

Step 40

In the Attached Baselines section, right-click the 4.0 to 4.1 baseline.

Step 41

In the drop-down list, choose Detach Baseline.

Step 42

In the Detach Baseline from Cluster window, check the Cluster check box and click Detach.

Step 43

In the Update Manager - Attach Baseline window, click Attach to attach the baseline to the host that did not upgrade.

Step 44

In the Individual Baselines by Type pane, check the 4.0 to 4.1 check box and click Attach.

Step 45

In the Host Compliance pane, verify that all hosts are Non-Compliant and click Remediate.

Step 46

In the Remediation Selection pane, click Next.

Step 47

Click the I agree to the term in the license agreement radio button.

Step 48

Click Next.

Step 49

In the ESX 4.1.0 Upgrade window, click Next.

Step 50

In the Maintenance Mode Options area, check the Disable any removable media devices connected to the virtual machines on the host check box.

Step 51

Click Next.

Step 52

In the Cluster Remediation Options screen, check all check boxes.

Step 53

Click Next.

Step 54

In the Ready to Complete screen, click Finish to begin the remediation.

Step 55

When the remediation is complete, confirm that the host is compliant in the Host Compliance section.

Step 56

In the left-hand pane of the Exit Maintenance Mode window, right-click on the host and choose Exit Maintenance Mode.

Step 57

In the left-hand pane of the Select Cluster window, choose Cluster to scan the entire cluster for compliance.

Step 58

Detach the baseline from the host and attach it to the cluster.

Note

You can also be confirm the upgrade by entering the show module command on the VSM and check that the VEMs are on the correct build.

In the License Agreement window, click the I agree to the terms in the license agreement radio button.

Step 9

Click Next.

Step 10

In the Database Options screen, click Next.

Step 11

Click the Upgrade existing vCenter Server database radio button and check the I have taken a backup of the existing vCenter Server database and SSL certificates in the folder: C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\SSL\. check box.

Step 12

From the Windows Start Menu, click Run.

Step 13

Enter the name of the folder that contains the vCenter Server database and click OK.

Step 14

Drag a copy of the parent folder (SSL) to the desktop as a backup.

Step 15

Return to the installer program.

Step 16

Click Next.

Step 17

In the vCenter Agent Upgrade window, click the Automatic radio button.

Step 18

Click Next.

Step 19

In the vCenter Server Service screen, check the Use SYSTEM Account check box.

Step 20

Click Next.

Step 21

Review the port settings and click Next.

Step 22

In the vCenter Server JVM Memory screen based on the number of hosts, click the appropriate memory radio button.

Step 23

Click Next.

Step 24

Click Install.

Step 25

Click Finish.

This step completes the upgrade of the vCenter Server.

Step 26

Upgrade the VMware vSphere Client to ESXi 5.1.

Step 27

Open the VMware vSphere Client.

Step 28

From the Help menu, choose About VMware vSphere.

Step 29

Confirm that the vSphere Client and the VMware vCenter Server are both version VMware 5.1.

Augmenting the Customized ISO for VMware Release 5.1

Before You Begin

If you are using a QLogic NIC, download the driver to include in the customized ISO for that specific NIC.

Procedure

If the ESXi host that is being upgraded to VMware 5.1 needs any Async drivers that are not already in VMware 5.1, see the respective vendor’s documentation for the drivers and the procedure to update the customized ISO.

In the Upgrade Details window, if the Compliance State has a value of Incompatible, reboot the host with the baseline attached.

After the reboot, the Compliance State will have a value of Non-Compliant.

Step 19

When you are finished viewing the upgrade details, click Close.

Step 20

Verify that all hosts are Non-Compliant.

Step 21

Click Remediate.

Step 22

Click Next

Step 23

In the End User License Agreement screen, check the I accept the terms and license agreement check box.

Step 24

Click Next

Step 25

In the ESXi 5.x Upgrade window, click Next.

Step 26

Click Next.

Step 27

In the Maintenance Mode Options area, check the Disable any removable media devices connected to the virtual machines on the host check box.

Step 28

Click Next.

Step 29

In the Cluster Remediation Options window, check all check boxes.

Step 30

Click Next.

Step 31

Click Finish to begin the remediation.

Step 32

To check the host versions, click each host in the left-hand pane and confirm that 5.1 appears in the top-left corner of the right-hand pane and that the version information matches the contents of the Cisco Nexus 1000V and VMware Compatibility Information.

Step 33

The upgrade can also be confirmed by running the show module command on the VSM and observing that the VEMs are on the correct build.

Installing ESXi 5.1 Host Software Using the CLI

You can upgrade an ESXi host by installing a VMware patch or update with the compatible Cisco Nexus 1000V VEM software.

Before You Begin

If you are using the vCLI, do the following:

You have downloaded and installed the VMware vCLI. For information about installing the vCLI, see the VMware vCLI documentation.

You are logged in to the remote host when the vCLI is installed.

Note

The vSphere Command-Line Interface (vSphere CLI) command set allows you to enter common system administration commands against ESXi systems from any machine with network access to those systems. You can also enter most vSphere CLI commands against a vCenter Server system and target any ESXi system that the vCenter Server system manages. vSphere CLI commands are especially useful for ESXi hosts because ESXi does not include a service console.

If you are using the esxupdate command, you are logged into the ESX host.

You have already copied the ESXi host software and VEM software installation file to the /tmp directory.

You know the name of the ESXi and VEM software file to be installed.

Procedure

Step 1

Download the VEM bits and copy them to the local host.

Step 2

Determine the upgrade method that you want to use.

If you are using the vCLI, enter the esxcli command and install the ESXi and VEM software simultaneously.

Note

When using the esxcli software vib install command, you must log in to each host and enter the command. ESXi 5.1 expects the VIB to be in the /var/log/vmware directory if the absolute path is not specified.